My Worst Fear
by CoUnTrYgIrL92
Summary: Toph's afraid of not being wanted anymore since the war is finally over...who will be there to console her?


My Worst Fear

**Disclaimer: Do not own Avatar (wish i did though)**

**_I don't know why I wrote this, but I was a little depressed when I did so...yeah. Also, this is my ver first Avatar Fan-fic. I love Toph/Sokka pairing! Thery're just so...GREAT together. Dontcha think? Anyways, this may not be great...or even good...but I wanted to post it anyways!_**

**_On With The Story!_**

_It's about time. _Toph thought, as she stood in the doorway, unnoticed by the two teens that were happily embraced in the others arms and kissing. Toph had instantly known what was happening when she had felt their heartbeats rapidly increase with excitement and nervousness. She inwardly chuckled as she snuck past them and down onto the lower patio attached to the elegant house in the upper ring that the Earth Kingdom so graciously provided for the eight heroes that had saved over thousands of lives and ended a century long war. Toph flopped back onto a step, letting out a sigh that blew her long, ebony bangs out of her dewy green eyes.

She felt at one with nature as she basked in the last bit of the sunlight before it sunk down lower in the sky. It was hard for the young Earthbender to comprehend that the war was over. All of it, it was actually over. In a way, Toph was relieved that no more innocent people would have to die. But on the other hand, she didn't know what to do with herself now that she wouldn't have to be kicking Fire Nation butt anymore.

True, she could go back to Gaoling, beg for her parents forgiveness, say what she did was a mistake and live the rest of her life in misery hidden away from the world behind a wall. _I think I'll pass. _Maybe she could go and be a teacher. After all, she did teach the_ Avatar_ Earthbending, and she, herself, was already a Master. _Nah, too much nose drooling, adolescent, pubescent annoying kids. _Toph forgot that she, too, was one of those. After spending the past few months of your life fighting off an entire army trying to kill you, facing a crazed Fire Nation Princess who is a Master at Firebending, and almost drowning in the sea home to a giant Sea Serpent, one tends to lose any semblances of their childhood form.

In the very end of it all, Toph was thankful she hadn't lost any of her friends. If truth be told, she didn't think she'd be able to bear the pain. Losing any of them would've been like losing family. Ever since Aang, Katara, and Sokka had rescued her from her horrible _prison, _she had considered them as friends. She couldn't tell you exactly when her affection for them grew, like the kind one would feel towards their family, but eventually, it did.

_I'm truly grateful to have them in my life. _She thought, letting a single, shimmery tear droplet linger at the brink of her eye before it trickled down her incandescent cheek. She slowly wiped it away before she let out a quavering sigh. Toph had always found it difficult to let herself show her emotions, no matter what it was. Another thing she'd never let herself do was to come across as too vulnerable, too defenseless, or too helpless. She hated it when people thought of her as the poor, pathetic, little blind girl. No, she wasn't like that, she was…strong.

Toph brought her head back, her bangs galling back to reveal a sadden expression on a face of a girl that had once would never let it show. Toph could feel that night had begun to settle in, so she didn't really mind showing her vulnerability, it was dark, no one would see. Or so she thought.

"Toph?"

Toph didn't even have to hear the voice to know it was Sokka. She could hear his heartbeat from a mile away, if need be, and she could feel the hop he had in his step. He walked down and seated himself beside her. She inwardly cursed him as she quickly lowered her head, letting her bangs shield her face, so as to not let him notice her current worrisome expression. Sokka noticed her actions and wondered what was bothering her.

"Toph, is everything alright?" Sokka asked, concernment hinting in his tone.

Toph inwardly smirked, even though she was still annoyed at him for interrupting her 'alone' time. Sokka had always been, however annoying his reasons may have been, protective of the girl. "I'm fine, Snoozles," she replied while reaching over and punching him in the arm. "I've just been out here thinking…"

Sokka flinched as he felt a searing pain surge through his arm. He let out a chuckle while rubbing the bruise he already knew would appear by tomorrow. "What were you thinking about?"

Toph let out another longwinded sigh before replying. "Just…things," she quickly recovered from her hesitation.

"C'mon, Toph…" Sokka coaxed her. "You know you wanna tell me…"

"No, Snoozles, I really don't," she was dead serious.

Sokka could hear the seriousness in her voice. "Toph, something's wrong, I can tell," Sokka observed, genuinely worried. "C'mon, you know you can tell me. We're…friends, right?"

_That's the problem. _"Yeah," her voice faltered. "But that doesn't give you a right to snoop around in my business!"

"Toph…" Sokka seemed taken aback. "I wasn't! I was just—"

"What?!" Toph demanded. "Worried?!"

"Well…yeah!" Sokka answered. "It's perfectly normal for a friend to be worried about another friend!"

Toph stood and walked down onto the patio. "I'm not some helpless little blind girl!" Toph shouted, stamping her foot on the ground which caused the earth to tremor in the process. "I'm Toph Bei Fong for crying out loud! I'm the greatest Earth Bender in the world…" Her voice trailed off. "But I'm afraid…"

Sokka looked at the girl before him. Never, in all the months he had known her, had she let out this much emotion. Sokka always thought of Toph as a statue. But now that he could see that she had kept her emotions bottled up for far too long. Sokka stood to his feet and walked to stand in front of Toph.

"Of what?" He asked. He was curious to know, because the Toph _he _knew had always been fearless and would always be courageous.

"Of…not being needed or wanted around here anymore," she admitted shamefully. "I was only asked to join you guys to help teach Aang Earthbending, but now the war's over…and…and…"

_I __**don't**__ cry. _But that sentiment didn't really help matters. Tears began to stream out of her eyes and down her cheeks, anyhow. Toph began to silently sob, wondering when this horrible moment could be over. She was showing weakness, another fear of hers. In truth, Toph had many fears that she didn't let show, but she was doing that now, and she was…scared.

"Toph…" Sokka's voice was soothing. "You can't keep doing this to yourself."

"Doing what?" She demanded harshly, wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her green kimono. "I'm not doing anything but being exactly who I said I wasn't: a helpless little blind girl!"

"No…" Sokka said, grabbing her wrist and bringing her hand away from her face. "You're being human."

Toph scoffed before wrenching her wrist from his grip. "I don't need your pity," she said. "I just want to be left alone."

"See," Sokka said pointedly. "_That's_ just it. You always want to be left alone! When are you going to get it in that thick head of yours that nobody should be alone?"

"How about telling my parents that?!" Toph said. "Maybe that'll be of some assistance to them!"

Sokka shook his head. "No, Toph…" he said. "I don't think I'll ever understand why you're so adamant about being a loner, just keeping to yourself."

Toph's eyes widened at what she had just heard. "W-what did you just say?" She demanded.

"Never mind…" Sokka said, turning to leave.

Pursing her lips, Toph outstretched her hand and grabbed Sokka's wrist as if it were her lifeline. "Because…I'm afraid of getting hurt," she whispered words that hardly a human could hear.

But for Sokka, it was as though she had spoken at normal volume. He saw the hurt and anguish wash over the young Earthbender's pale face, and suddenly embraced her in his arms. Both knew that this wasn't like the other at all, but neither cared. Sokka was finally able to break through the tough exterior Toph had built up over the course of her twelve years in life.

"We'd never—_I'd _never—let that happen," he whispered as he placed his chin on the head of the small girl. "_You're _needed here, Toph. _We_ need you. _I_…" Sokka could hear how his voice was getting strained and tight. "…need you."

Toph jerked her head back and 'looked' up at the young warrior. "Y-you…need me?" She asked uncertainly.

"Yeah…" Sokka whispered.

"I-I need you too," she admitted while her cheeks became flushed.

Sokka smiled before placing a sweet, yet simple kiss on her forehead. "C'mon, let's head back inside. I think I hear meat calling my name!"

Toph chuckled while she allowed, but just this once, for Sokka to drag her alongside him. Hopefully, one day soon Toph would gather up enough courage to tell Sokka how she truly feels about him. _And until that day comes, my greatest fear is now my greatest anticipation._

**_So there ya have it! I love constructive criticism! It tells me what to work on! Also, if you review, which I hope you do, plz tell me what you liked about it. I'd appreciate more than the regular, 'too cute' or 'i loved it!'. So plz...give me your honest opinion!_**

**_Much Love,_**

**_Devan_**


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